One Hundred Billion Suns
by Red-Elephant
Summary: Usagi had hoped that a night of star gazing would bring herself and Mamoru closer together. But there has been a car parked across the street for days now and she was sure there was a man looking through her bedroom window...
1. Chapter 1

**One Hundred Billion Suns**

Rated: M

Author: Red _Elephant

_DISCLAIMER: __Sailor Moon belongs respectively to Naoko Takeuchi/Kodansha, TOEI Animation and DIC Entertainment. Not written for monetary purposes, this is simply written in the hopes of entertaining anyone out there who decides to read it._

AN: Well, I've gone and done it again – releasing another story when I still owe you updates for You Get Me and Breathe In Now. Sorry 'bout that but I have to go where my head takes me.

There are a few things you need to know about this story. It is an Alternate Universe and I've taken a few liberties – you'll see what I mean. What started out as a simple first season type fic eventually became the story you are about to read. It's a new step for me – by my own rule, I don't read horror – but I had a dream recently and poor Usagi has become my way of resolving it. It feels different from my usual stuff so I'd really like you all to let me know what you think. Please review!

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><p>CHAPTER ONE<p>

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><p>Usagi's foot slipped off the step of the bar stool and swung, the toe of her black mary janes skipping on the wooden floor. She sighed heavily and pulled her foot back up, squirming in her seat.<p>

"Darling, can you get me some carrots?" Ikuko asked as she set up the rice cooker.

Usagi's face scrunched up in distaste at the mention of her least favourite food but the tired lines stretching her mother's forehead kept her mouth shut. Instead she rummaged through the vegetable cooler box until she found the bag, the frigid air curling the wispy strands of hair around her face.

"How many Mamma?"

"I think three should be enough." Ikuko smiled at her daughter as she placed the vegetables on the chopping board.

Usagi sat back down on the bar stool to watch her mother cook dinner. It was something she had always liked to do; the one time of the day, every day that was reserved just for them. In the past she would have offered to help but a few months ago she had burnt several fingers badly when a dishcloth she was using to lift a very heavy pot of boiling spaghetti was held too close to the open flame of one of the stove top gas burners and caught alight. Usagi rubbed absently at the scar, remembering the pain as her eyes followed her mother's movements. Ikuko had slowly begun coaxing her back into the kitchen with small jobs but it appeared she was in a hurry tonight. That was fine, Usagi decided, as she pulled a note pad and pen from near the phone and started to scrawl little swirly rose buds in the corners of the page.

"So how was school?" Ikuko threw the freshly chopped carrots into the pot.

Usagi grimaced, pausing in her scribble. "Ok, I guess. Naru was sick again so I had to sit alone in class," She resumed her scribbles. "But Ami put her book down long enough to have lunch with me." She perked up a bit. "Those sweet bean buns were super yummy Mamma. Even Ami said so."

"I'm glad you liked them," Ikuko smiled. "We can make them again next week if you'd like."

Usagi nodded enthusiastically, ears perking as she heard the front door open. She shot a quick glance at the clock as the sound of male voices drifted into the house. She stared back down at her drawing with renewed concentration.

Ikuko put her knife down and turned towards the hall. "Don't forget to take off your shoes Shingo; I mopped today." She wiped her hands on her apron.

"Hey mum." Shingo placed a quick kiss on top of his mothers head. "That car's still parked across the street."

Ikuko paused mid stir, a look of consternation crossing her features as her gaze turned to the window over the sink. "Kenji will be home soon." She finally murmured, bringing her attention back to her pot. "He'll tell them to move on."

"We should call the cops." Shingo said as he placed his tennis racket between his knees so he could pull two cola cans from the fridge, handing one to Chiba Mamoru who stood silently behind him. "It's been two days." He pulled a face at his sister. She stuck her tongue out at him.

"Don't ruin your appetite," Ikuko warned her son as he grabbed a bag of potato chips from the pantry. "And let your father deal with it." She glanced at Mamoru, who was peering over Usagi's shoulder. "Are you staying for dinner Mamoru?"

Mamoru smiled and nodded. Usagi pressed a little harder into the paper with her pen, heat flooding into her cheeks.

"We won our game," Shingo announced around a handful of chips he'd just shoved into his mouth. " Two games to love. All those hours of practice are finally paying off."

"That's nice dear. Did you remember to give Motoki those magazines?"

Mamoru slipped onto the stool beside Usagi. She jumped when she felt one of the balls on her head being given a gentle squeeze and swatted his hand away. "Stop that baka." She ordered. He was always touching her hair.

"How are you Odango Atama?" Mamoru cracked open his cola, his forearm brushing her sleeve as he took a sip and then offered it to her. Usagi eyed it, wondering if he had backwashed. "Just drink it." He rolled his eyes, correctly guessing the cause for her hesitation.

She took the can, eyes zeroing in on the break in condensation where his lips had been and the drop of cola caught around the groove of the hole. He watched her as she took a sip, some unnamed emotion swirling within the blue tumult of his eyes. Pulse galloping, Usagi placed the can on the counter next to his left hand and went back to her scribbles.

"Oh," Usagi looked up at her mother as she remembered. "I ran into Rei today."

"Lucky you." Mamoru muttered. Usagi ignored him.

"She said that there is going to be a meteor shower tonight."

"I heard that too," Shingo piped up, twirling his racket on his index finger. "My professor just about peed himself with excitement. Apparently the next meteorite with a trajectory towards earth is approximately seventy years away," He shoved some more chips into his mouth. "He seemed to think this is going to be pretty special."

"Please don't talk with your mouth full." Ikuko reproached. Shingo pulled a face at his mother's back.

Usagi clasped her hands together, eyes sparkling. "Rei said that the sky will be filled with millions of shooting stars."

"We won't be able to see much of it here." Mamoru leant forward, folding his arms on the counter top.

Usagi frown. "Why not?"

"The city lights," He explained, tone dry. "The haze will blanket out most of the shower."

"I'm sure we'll see some of it on the news tomorrow." Ikuko said as she pulled plates from the cupboard and put them in front of Usagi and Mamoru.

"But it won't be the same Mamma." Usagi's bottom lip pulled down in a pout. The picture Rei had painted in her head was so vivid and beautiful.

"Would you set the table hon? Your father should be home soon."

Usagi took the plates into the dining room, ignoring Mamoru as he followed her, and began setting places. She pondered over what her brother had said. If this event only happened every seventy years then she was going to be eighty seven next time it happened. She pictured her grandparents, their frames tiny and stooped, her grandpa with his paunch and suspenders. They both had false teeth they kept in a glass of water on their night stands while they slept. Granma was infuriatingly deaf and, even though she had a hearing aid, was forgetful and often didn't turn it on.

Could that be her in seventy years? Would she be able to see the stars, if she could remember to go outside to see them?

"Can you please stop frowning at me?" Mamoru raised an eyebrow as he placed knives and forks at each setting.

"I'm not frowning at you," Usagi insisted. "I'm thinking."

Mamoru smirked. "That explains the smoke."

"Baka." She stuck her tongue out at him. "I was picturing myself at eighty seven."

"Oh course." Humour laced his tone. "Why would you want to do that?"

"I want to see this meteor shower," She shifted uncomfortably. He always made her say more than she meant to. "I don't want to wait seventy years for something I can see tonight."

"Why don't we drive up to Hana's parent's cabin?" Shingo suggested, placing a plate of bread rolls in the middle of the table. "We should get a pretty good view up there."

"That's an awesome idea!" Usagi exclaimed, hoping up and down.

Mamoru frowned. "I've got class tomorrow."

Shingo shrugged, shoving a hand through his mess of chestnut hair. "Ditch."

Usagi's heart sank at the look on his face. Why was he always such a square? "Please Mamoru?" She stuck her lip out. "No one will care if you miss a day."

Mamoru sneered. "Gee thanks."

"Very smooth Usagi." Shingo complimented his sister, rolling his eyes.

"But your grades are perfect." She defended.

Shingo folded his arms. "She has a point."

Mamoru frowned at the two siblings as they both stared at him, varying shades of blue and green eyes wide open and beseeching. It was almost funny but not quite.

"Please Mamoru?" Usagi tried one more time, hands clasped together at her chest. He seemed to soften just a little when their eyes met. Mamoru cleared his throat and looked at Shingo.

"Should we leave after dinner?"

"Yes!" Usagi couldn't stop herself; she flung her arms around Mamoru. Startled, they both froze. She'd never noticed the golden flecks around the blue of his irises before. His ears began to colour as he pushed her away.

"Are you going to ask Hana to come along?" Mamoru shoved his hands deep into the pockets of his white tennis shorts.

Shingo raised an eyebrow at his friend, amused. "I wasn't planning on breaking in."

"And you should ask Rei too."

Usagi frowned when Mamoru said her friend's name. He had spurned her advances on several embarrassing occasions but Rei was nothing if not persistent. This would only give her hope so why, _why_ did he want her to come?

"I'm going to call Hana and Motoki." Shingo announced, foot already on the first step of the stairs.

"And, I guess I'd better call Rei." Usagi nibbled on her bottom lip.

Mamoru edged towards the living room. "Sounds good."

"I thought you didn't like Rei." She blurted, unable to stop herself.

Mamoru's forehead creased in surprise. "I like Rei just fine."

"Oh." She nodded, pulling one pigtail over her shoulder and winding it around her wrist.

"Usagi-"

"I'll ask her." She interrupted, backing away quickly. She could feel his eyes on her as she ran up the stairs.

Shutting her bedroom door, Usagi leant back against the wood, listening to the pounding of her heart. The black cat lifted her head from its resting place on the unmade bed, ears flicking with curiosity.

"I can't do it Luna." Usagi whispered.

She didn't want Rei there. It was selfish but she couldn't share this night with anyone, didn't want to share _him_ with anyone. There was a certain intangible something in the air and while she had no idea what it meant, she also knew she couldn't risk it. Call it a whispering of other worldliness. Whatever. Firm in her decision, yet feeling unquestionably guilty and (oddly enough) a little spooked, she sat down on her bed and drew Luna into her arms. The black kitty snuggled straight in, head tucking into her favourite spot under Usagi's chin, and began to purr.

Usagi didn't move until her mother called her down for dinner.

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><p>AN: Please review<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

**One Hundred Billion Suns**

Rated: M

Author: Red _Elephant

_DISCLAIMER: __Sailor Moon belongs respectively to Naoko Takeuchi/Kodansha, TOEI Animation and DIC Entertainment. Not written for monetary purposes, this is simply written in the hopes of entertaining anyone out there who decides to read it._

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><p>CHAPTER TWO<p>

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><p>"Are we there yet?" Usagi whined, squirming in her seat.<p>

"Dammit. Would you stop fidgeting?" Mamoru shouted, shoving several copies of her precious manga onto the car floor. Every time she squirmed they ended up back in his lap.

"Hey!" Usagi yelled.

Takahashi Hana turned from her spot in the front passenger seat to look at the occupants in the back, slim fingers tucking errant mahogany bangs behind her ears. Mamoru was glaring out the window in a fruitless effort to try and ignore Shingo's sister as she rummaged around his feet. "We're almost there." Hana assured, sharing a small smile with Mamoru who grimaced, his intense blue eyes twinkling. She suspected that he didn't mind half as much as he appeared to.

Usagi could only nod and smile at her brother's girlfriend. She felt uncharacteristic shyness take a hold of her whenever she was around Hana, whom had been dating Shingo for over a year. It made her tongue tied and awkward which left her embarrassed by her own inadequacies. Hana was stunningly beautiful, sophisticated, confident and intelligent; everything Usagi wanted to be yet most definitely was not. Why Hana was wasting her time with her dorky brother was a mystery.

"Do you come up here often?" Usagi asked.

Hana nodded, her eyes drawn to the headlights curving the road not far behind them. _'Is that the same car?'_ She wondered. Unsettled but aware that Usagi was waiting for an answer; Hana drew her gaze back to the little blonde. "We spend Christmas here most years. My parents bought it because of the hot springs close by." As she spoke, Shingo pulled off the main highway and onto a winding road that began to climb steadily. The car that appeared to be following them stayed on the main road. Hana let out the breath she hadn't realised she'd been holding.

"It sounds wonderful." Usagi smiled, eyes on Mamoru's hand as he stole one of her manga. She considered snatching it back but then his lips quirked as he read something amusing. Her heart melted just a little.

After a few minutes of lapsed silence, they came to a stop in front of a modest traditional log house. The group were plunged into darkness as Shingo switched off the headlights. She couldn't help it; she grabbed Mamoru's arm. Fear of the dark was a relatively new paranoia for Usagi. She couldn't really say why but the darkness no longer felt safe. And there had been that night weeks ago when she had been certain that she had seen a man outside her bedroom window. Her father had searched but if there had been a man there, no trace could be found. Still, she was the only seventeen year old she knew who still slept with a night light.

Usagi couldn't see Mamoru as he pulled her from the car but she was grateful for the warm reassurance of his hand around hers. She could hear Shingo and Hana as they made their way towards the house but she knew Mamoru was still with her. Usagi jumped when his fingers touched her chin and her heart sped up. Oh god, was he going to kiss her? She was confused, however, when he seemed to be tilting her head back further than needed. This wasn't how you kissed, right? She resisted for a second. What was he doing?

Mamoru sighed impatiently. "Look up Odango."

He tilted her head still further and she found herself looking straight up at the sky. A gasp burst from her lips. It was so beautiful. Away from the glow of the city, the stars shone clear and bright, billions of tiny twinkling suns splashed from horizon to horizon. The meteor shower had not begun yet but for Usagi, the drive had been worth it just to see this. Her spare hand felt in the pocket of her grey corduroy pants for the small scrap of paper her mother had pressed into her hand as she was leaving. She fingered it for a moment but didn't pull it out.

The porch light's sudden appearance was startling as Shingo came to retrieve everyone's bags from the car. Mamoru had already moved away from her.

Usagi cast one more awed glance up at the sky before climbing the short flight of stairs into the log house. It was nicely decorated; a few family photos dotted here and there with a modest fireplace taking centre stage in the open planned living area. She made her way down the corridor, peeking at what lay within some of the open doors. She found Hana in the third room.

"I've got top bunk." Hana announced as soon as Usagi stopped in the door way.

"But I wanted top bunk!" Usagi protested, even as she was clamping a hand over her mouth. She was trying to be mature after all. The tinkle of Hana's laughter filled the air and Usagi couldn't help but join in.

"Your bags, ladies." Shingo announced, dropping Usagi's large pink suit case in the middle of the room with a loud thud. He placed Hana's much smaller Gucci tote gently by her bed.

"Shingo, you moron," Usagi huffed. "Be careful!"

Shingo pulled himself up onto the top bunk, slipping one arm around his girlfriend. "Remind me again why you needed all that stuff?"

"I don't want to get bored," Usagi said, feeling that it was perfectly reasonable to have brought as much as she had. "I've got to have something to do while you two are groping each other and sucking face."

Hana laughed, leaning her head on Shingo's shoulder. "Your sister is adorable."

"An adorable pain in my-"

"Shingo!" Hana admonished.

He blinked, all innocence and charm. "What? I was going to say-"

She clamped her hands over his mouth. Shingo's eye's narrowed and suddenly Hana let out a shriek, jerking her hands away from his face. He leaped at her as she wiped her hands on his jacket, the springs of the bunk bed groaning as he began to tickle her.

Usagi slipped out of the room. "Gross." She grumbled.

Mamoru was kneeling before the open fire place, placing logs in a neat stack on top of torn newspaper and kindling with careful precision.

Usagi leaned over his shoulder. "Can I help?" He didn't jump like she'd hoped.

"Can you get me the matches from one of the drawers in the kitchen?"

She found the small box in the third drawer and brought them to him. Mamoru had divested himself of his thick jacket and now sat back, weight resting on his arms. Usagi held the box out to him. He sat forward and took them, fingers grazing her palm. Ignoring the shiver that sailed up her arm and down her back from the simple touch, she plonked herself down next to him.

"What now?" Usagi wondered, watching the flames dance through the kindling.

Mamoru pulled his long legs up, wresting his forearms on his knees. "I am not your activities coordinator Odango." She rolled her eyes at him. They sat like that for a long moment, listening to the muffled sounds of the couple down the hall.

"I think we should go for a walk." Mamoru decided.

"Are the hot springs close by?" She wondered.

He tilted his head down, black bangs falling into his eyes. Fingers fiddled with a pulled thread. "Did you bring your bathing suit?"

"No."

Mamoru pushed himself to his feet in a burst of nervous energy and held out his hand. "Tempting but I think Shingo and Kenji might just castrate me. I think we should go for a walk," He glanced at his watch. "Besides this thing should be starting soon." He retrieved the car keys from the kitchen counter and motioned for Usagi to follow him outside. She sat on the top step in the light as Mamoru went to the car and pulled a halogen torch from the glove box.

"Ready?" He asked, flicking it on. She followed him around the building, stumbling on the uneven ground as she tried to keep up with his longer stride and out of the dark shadows. He slowed down so she could catch up. He glanced back and seemed to realise she was having trouble because he slowed down. There was no discernable path that Usagi could see but Mamoru seemed to know where he was going.

"You've been here before."

"Yeah."

She waited for him to continue but he didn't. "When?" She pressed.

"Did you ever meet Miya?" He asked, pushing a low branch out of their way.

Usagi frowned. "Hana's friend?"

"We all came up here a few times." He shrugged.

She chewed over this for a few moments. She had met Miya a number of times and was always struck by how immaculate the girl was, her beautiful black hair cut into a bob that shaped her face and enormous brown eyes the colour of chocolate. She was soft spoken, brilliant and most important, she seemed genuinely nice. Usagi bit hard into her lip.

"You must be good friends."

Mamoru peered at her. "Why do you say that?"

Usagi shrugged. "You must have a lot to talk about," She dodged around a small pine. "And she's very beautiful."

"She is," He agreed. "But I think it takes a lot of work for her each morning to look like that," A smile played across his lips and he reached out to tug at her hair. "Not all girls are confident enough to leave the house with no makeup Odango."

She was glad the dark hid her blush. "I wish you wouldn't call me that."

A genuine smile broke out across Mamoru's face and in that moment he was so beautiful it took her breath away. "I've been calling you that for years." He reminded her.

"And I've been asking you to stop for years." She countered.

"Ah but if the name fits..."

Usagi let the argument slide off the way it always did. "So is that the type of girl that you like?"

"Who?" Mamoru swung the torch up to her face, blinding her momentarily before directing it forward again.

She blinked away the spots in front of her eyes. "Miya."

"I don't have a type." He stated, ending that line of conversation with his usual bluntness. She hated it when he blocked her like that. "What about you?"

Usagi stumbled over a tree root. "Me?"

"Sure," Mamoru ran a hand over his forehead. "Shingo told me about that Umino boy," She wrinkled her nose. "And I've seen the way you go all red whenever Motoki's around."

"Don't you guys have anything better to talk about?" Usagi wondered, blushing.

"Not really," Mamoru paused for a moment to look around, getting his bearings. "We're almost there," He let her go ahead. "It's a pity Motoki couldn't come."

Usagi was glad her back was to him so that he was unable to see her face but couldn't help needling him just a little. "Yes it is." She let herself sigh in feigned regret.

Mamoru's breath came out in a huff. "Right."

Usagi glanced back at him, curious, but he turned his face from her, hiding whatever it was he was thinking. Regretting her moment of teasing but unable to say so, she wracked her brain for a way to change the subject but came up blank. Sighing, Usagi ran her hand along the trunk of one of the trees as she rounded a corner and her feet slid out from under her as they suddenly hit the rocky shore of an enormous lake. Mamoru grabbed her elbow to steady her and it was in that moment, as they both concentrated on keeping her on her feet, that the sky exploded.

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><p>AN: Happy New Year everybody!<p>

Please Review


	3. Chapter 3

**One Hundred Billion Suns**

Rated: M

Author: Red _Elephant

_DISCLAIMER: __Sailor Moon belongs respectively to Naoko Takeuchi/Kodansha, TOEI Animation and DIC Entertainment. Not written for monetary purposes, this is simply written in the hopes of entertaining anyone out there who decides to read it._

CHAPTER THREE

The lake was an enormous black void that stretched out into the darkness before them, its smooth surface acting like an enormous mirror, magnifying all that lay above them. Usagi felt as though she were literally floating through space. It was only the cold log she sat upon and the warmth of Mamoru's fingers laced through her own that reminded her that she was still on earth. It all felt ethereal and alien and she was certain that she had never before been aware of how small and insignificant her existence was.

"Do you think Shingo and Hana are watching this?" Usagi whispered.

Mamoru sniggered. "I doubt it."

"Oh! They've turned red." She exclaimed, tilting her head back as far as her neck allowed.

"The meteor must have iron in its makeup; that's why it looks red as its passing through our atmosphere," Mamoru explained. "Some can be made from copper and that would give it a green tail; others would appear yellow because of the manganese elements." As he spoke he readjusted their hands, thumb passing over the thin flesh of her knuckles.

"How do you know stuff like that?" Usagi wondered, trying to ignore the flood of goose pimples travelling across her forearm. "It's got nothing to do with medicine."

He shrugged. "My head is full of useless facts that I'll never need."

"Until tonight."

Mamoru smiled. "Right."

"Have you made a wish yet?"

"No." He seemed amused by this. "Have you?"

Usagi pulled her hand free to clasp them together before her. "Make a wish with me Mamoru."

Ignoring his obvious reluctance, Usagi waited while he mimicked her pose before closing her eyes. She tried to channel all her energy into her wish, repeating it three times for luck and because that had always been her number. Then she released the energy and opened her eyes, sending it skywards. Taking a deep breath she turned back to Mamoru and was uncomfortable to discover that he'd been watching her.

"Did you make a wish?" She asked.

Instead of answering Mamoru slid down from the dead tree they sat on, rocks clinking under his heavy boots. He became a dark shadow surrounded by the space rocks shooting across the sky and she found that, for once, they were eye to eye. He glanced down as he placed his hands on her knees, warmth seeping through her corduroy pants. He peered at her through the darkness as he nudged her legs open, gauging her reaction. She yielded and he bridged the gap between them until their foreheads touched, chests just barely touching. Usagi suddenly found it hard to breathe, acutely aware of every point of contact between them. He was so close, closer than he'd ever allowed himself to be with her. In one move he was breaking down all the carefully erected barriers that he had put up over the many years they had known each other. She didn't know what to do; only what she _wanted_ to do. He seemed to be content to stay as they were, foreheads together, fingers trailing up her legs to linger just shy of her hips.

"Breathe Usa." He whispered.

She obeyed, inhaling deeply. All she could smell was Mamoru, his cologne, his skin, his breath; it made her head spin. Hesitantly, she brushed her fingers through the hair at his temples, marvelling at the silky texture and the fact that he shivered at her touch. She let one hand slide over the sharp angle of his cheek bone and linger, the other curling around the back of his neck, fingertips lost in the ends of his hair. His grip on her hips tightened, fingers sliding under her sweater until he found the skin she hid underneath. She gasped; she couldn't help it.

Mamoru's lips brushed the corner of her mouth, long fingers curving under her chin. It tickled and she couldn't stop herself from squirming. His grip tightened just a little, bringing her back as he pressed his lips very gently to hers, warm and soft and totally melting. Yet she felt a little panicked; she didn't know what she was doing. God, she was thinking too much. Mamoru sensed her hesitation and miss read it, drawing back. He smoothed his knuckles over her cheek.

"I'm sorry." He murmured.

"Why?" She whispered, wishing he would kiss her again.

Breath hissed between his teeth in frustration. "Because I told myself I wasn't going to do this."

"Mamoru you can't-" Usagi broke off, upset and hurt. "Please don't ruin this."

He backed away from her, hands pushing through his un-kept locks. "I think we should go back."

She slapped her hand down onto the log. Her palm stung but she barely noticed. "No!" Usagi shook her head vehemently. "I don't want to." She hated that she sounded like a child.

"Stay then," Mamoru turned away from her. "I'm going back."

Usagi sat there for long seconds, listening to the sound of the rocks under his boots. Emotions were shooting through her faster than the stars above her head, a wave of dizziness making her reel. Unable to stand the darkness any longer, she pushed herself off the log, only to stagger and fall. Her wrists jarred as she hit the rocks, blinding pain shooting up her left arm. Tears welled but she forced them back and began to scramble after him, cradling her left wrist close to her body.

"Wait," She called, the loose stones impeding her speed. "Mamoru slow down."

The torch light disappeared into the trees and Usagi was left in the dark. The panic was immediate and crawled like ants beneath her skin. She found herself scrambling up a bank, using her right hand to guide her because she couldn't see a thing. Usagi grabbed what she thought was a tree but which turned out to be a loose branch, causing her to fall backwards, landing on her rump in a pile of drift wood and stones. One stick tore through her sweater and cut deep into her skin. It hurt, god it hurt. Tears sprang into her eyes as she let out a short shriek of pain, rolling onto her side to escape the wood only to jar her injured wrist. A sob seared her throat, loud in the silence as she pulled herself away from danger, not stopping until she felt only rocks beneath her.

"Ugh," Usagi moaned, aware that the cold from the stones beneath her were starting to penetrate the warmth of her clothes but unable to move right then. Her fingers sought the injured area and came away wet with blood. That was it. The tears fell thick and fast, sobs making her chest heave as she struggled to breathe through a sudden bought of hyperventilation.

She didn't hear the footsteps coming back to her, face buried in the cupped hands she held over her mouth. God she couldn't breathe and it hurt and she was _bleeding_.

It happened too quickly. Large hands grabbed Usagi's arms with too much strength. The roughness of that grip as she was wrenched to her feet shocked her so completely that her tears stopped, her heart beating a viscous rhythm in her throat, choking her. This wasn't Mamoru. He'd _never_ touch her like this.

_Oh SHIT..._

"Who are you?" She demanded.

The strike was sudden and spun her head with the force. The pain was immediate, unbearable and Usagi's vision blacked out for unknown seconds as she reeled. She couldn't fight as she was pulled into the warmth of a foreign body, pressed against his hard length and his scent clogging her nostrils. She could feel the beginnings of his excitement immediately and did the only thing she could think of in that second. Usagi screamed. She'd always been a good screamer. A large hand fell over her mouth, and she heard his voice for the first time as he cursed. She didn't recognise it. Survival instinct took over and she bit down on his hand, tasting skin and salt and, a heartbeat later, blood. More curses but he let her go.

Usagi fell forward, rolling down a small embankment she couldn't see. Desperate, she launched herself to her feet. The dark made it hard; there wasn't time to think and the only thing she could see was the black outline of the lake as it met with the souring suns overhead. What was beautiful only minutes ago now seemed lonely and much, much too big. Usagi plunged into the freezing water of the lake before she'd made the decision to do it. Her clothes were heavy and threatened to drag her down but she forced herself to keep going, knowing that if she stopped he'd catch her.

The chill set into her body before she realised it and then it was too late. Usagi slowed her strokes, trying to listen through the ringing in her ears. The only sounds that met her were that of moving water and the light breeze that skirted the surface of the lake. Chatter settled into her teeth. It was only then that Usagi realised her error. She couldn't stay in the water forever; already the cold was taking a firm hold on her body and things were quickly shutting down. The man could wait on the shore, knowing that she would have to come back to land soon. She'd have no defence then and...she refused to let any further thought fill her mind.

Numb hands flapping through the water, she propelled herself in a circle, struggling to see him. Nothing. Desperation set in and she had to force herself to keep moving. _'I'm going to die'_ Usagi thought hysterically, chin dragging in the water. She sank down until she had to point her face skyward, water filling her ears. It took long minutes to fight down the terror, to keep her arms and legs moving so that she wouldn't simply sink into the darkness and be lost forever. God she hated the dark.

But it wasn't completely black. The meteor shower continued to rain down overhead, ethereal and constant. It was her only witness in this moment of horror but she found strength in it and a comfort that she desperately needed. In that one second between inhalation and the release of breath, an idea came to her and she lifted her head back out of the water. She had no strength left but then, she didn't need it. Doing the one thing she'd always been good at, she opened her mouth and screamed. And screamed. And screamed...

AN: Please Review


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